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Home >TTY Telephone Scam Hits Small Businesses

The TTY Telephone Scam

This is a fairly new scam that exploits the TTY service (telephone text yoke) which is used to help the deaf place telephone calls. According to the Mountain States Better Business Bureau reports have been coming in from around the country that small businesses have been receiving large inventory orders from these systems.

The buyer on the other end of the line almost always requests that the order be shipped out of the state, or even out of the country using the quickest method available. They also want to pay with everything by credit card. All too often the credit card comes back as stolen, and if the business has already shipped the goods they lose money, and inventory.

Don't fall vicitm to this scam. There are ways to protect your business, as well as your customers. Adopt a new policy when dealing with orders of this nature. Below is a list of some basic principles you can adopt to keep yourself safe against these predators.

• Make sure you get the full name, address, and telephone number of the caller.

• Ask for the toll free customer service number on the back of the card so you can verify it’s validity.

• Get the verification code on the back of the card.

• Tell the caller you will check with the issuing company and get back to them. If they have an issue with you checking let them know it’s for your protection as well as their own.

• If the buyer refuses to provide you with any of the above do not do business with them.

This information is compiled and provided by George S. May International Company.

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